A moment later, the air rippled again.

Dahlia, Arden, Dion, and Eliza stepped through the Demon Gate one after another.

They froze the instant their feet touched the ground.

The sky above them was dark red.

The land was cracked and black, with sharp rocks everywhere. No trees. No grass.

Just heat, pressure, and thick demonic mana pressing against their skin.

Dahlia slowly looked around. "So… this is what's behind the Demon Gate?"

Dion swallowed. "Yeah. This definitely doesn't look like a vacation spot."

Arden took a careful step forward, eyes sharp. "The mana here is heavy. Way heavier than outside."

Eliza didn't say anything.

She simply stood close to the group, eyes scanning the shadows.

Then they saw him.

"Master!" Dahlia called out.

Garion turned his head and looked back at them. "Huh. So you four came in."

He glanced them over once, calm as always. "Good. You didn't waste time."

Arden's gaze immediately dropped to the ground.

Two bodies lay there, twisted unnaturally.

"…Master," Arden said slowly. "Who are they?"

Garion shrugged. "No idea."

He pointed casually with his thumb. "They just showed up, talked big, and attacked me."

Dion stared harder. "Attacked you?"

Dahlia squinted. "That already sounds like a bad life choice."

Arden crouched slightly, studying the corpses. "These aren't humans."

He frowned. "Different skin color. Horns. Wings."

Dion nodded quickly. "Yeah. Those wings are not decorative."

Garion tilted his head. "Maybe because they're demons."

The four of them stiffened.

"…Demons?" Dahlia repeated.

Dion blinked. "Like. Actual demons?"

Arden's eyes lit up. "So they really exist."

Eliza finally spoke, her voice quiet. "…They feel wrong."

Garion nodded. "Yep. Definitely demons."

He looked down at the bodies again. "And pretty weak ones too."

Dahlia crossed her arms. "Weak compared to who?"

Garion glanced at her. "Me."

Dahlia clicked her tongue. "Of course."

Arden smiled instead, excitement creeping into his face. "So this place isn't just full of demonic beasts. It has demons too."

Garion nodded. "Looks like it."

He stretched his shoulders slightly. "And I plan to turn them into cadavers later."

Dion flinched. "Later?"

Garion looked at him. "What. Waste is bad."

Arden stood up and nodded seriously. "Good thinking, Master."

Dion stared at him. "…You're way too okay with that."

Arden smiled wider. "I also want to learn their anatomy."

Dahlia shook her head. "You two are terrifying."

Garion waved it off. "You'll get used to it."

Then he looked around, scanning the red-black land again. His brows slowly pulled together.

"By the way," he said, "where's the Demon Gate?"

Dahlia turned and pointed behind them. "It should be right there, Master."

She stopped mid-gesture.

"…Huh?"

Dion followed her gaze. "Wait. It was literally behind us when we entered."

Arden turned around too, eyes narrowing. "It's gone."

Eliza tilted her head slightly, her quiet presence spreading out as if feeling the space. "…I don't feel it anymore."

Garion frowned. "Did the Demon Gate disappear the moment we entered?"

Dahlia nodded slowly. "It could be."

Dion rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay, that's bad."

He looked at Garion. "Then how the hell are we supposed to destroy it?"

He paused, then added, "Better question. How are we supposed to leave?"

The air beside Garion flickered.

A familiar translucent screen appeared.

[Mission: Destroy the Demon Gate]

[Method: Find the Demon Gate and destroy it.]

Garion blinked. "Find it?"

He glanced around again. "That's helpful. Really helpful."

Another line soon appeared, explaining his current situation.

[Upon entering the Demon Gate, all entrants are randomly teleported.]

Garion sucked in a breath. "Random teleportation?"

He then tilted his head in confusion. "Then how can they be here all at the same time?"

Another short line popped up.

[Grouping together: Coincidence or luck.]

Garion clicked his tongue. "Damn system."

He closed the screen and rolled his shoulders. "Alright. Complaining won't fix it."

Dahlia immediately leaned closer, hands on her hips. "What happened, Master?"

Garion waved a hand casually. "Nothing serious. Let's just look around first."

Dahlia frowned. "That's not an answer."

Dion nodded. "Yeah. Whenever you say 'nothing serious', it's usually very serious."

Garion sighed and glanced around again at the endless red-black land.

"Fine. Short version. The Demon Gate is not here."

Arden's eyes sharpened. "What do you mean?"

"I think we got teleported," Garion said.

Dahlia blinked. "Teleported?"

Garion nodded. "Yeah. Randomly."

Dion groaned. "Of course. Why wouldn't it be random?"

Eliza stayed quiet, but her gaze slowly swept the horizon, as if feeling the space itself.

Garion continued, his tone steady. "This isn't a treasure realm."

Dahlia tilted her head. "Then what is it?"

Garion looked up at the red sky. "This is the real demon world."

The group went silent.

"…Real?" Dion repeated.

Arden clenched his fist slightly. "So this place isn't created or isolated."

Garion shook his head. "No. It exists on its own."

For a brief moment, Garion paused.

His eyes were unfocused, as if listening to something only he could hear.

"…Is it?" he muttered.

A short confirmation appeared in his vision.

[Yes.]

Garion let out a quiet breath. "That settles it."

Dahlia crossed her arms. "So we were dropped somewhere random in an actual demon world."

Dion looked around nervously. "That explains why the mana feels… endless."

Eliza finally spoke, her voice soft. "…It doesn't have boundaries."

Garion nodded at her. "Exactly."

He turned back to the group. "That's why the Demon Gate disappeared when we entered. It's not even here in the first place."

Dahlia frowned. "So where is it?"

"Far," Garion said simply. "Very far."

Dion clicked his tongue. "Great. Lost in a demon world."

Arden straightened his back. "Then our objective is clear."

Garion smiled faintly. "Yeah. We look around, track the source of the demonic mana, find the Demon Gate, destroy it, and go back."

Dahlia cracked her knuckles. "Simple plan. Annoying execution."

Dion forced a grin. "At least we're together."

Eliza nodded once.

Garion took the lead, stepping forward without hesitation. "Stay close. This place isn't forgiving."

As they moved deeper into the demon world, the pressure around them grew heavier.

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